1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to power drives and in particular to bearing arrangements for use in power drive assemblies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In one conventional power drive assembly, a clutch is mounted to an input shaft and a brake is mounted to an output shaft, with the shafts being disposed in coaxial alignment.
One example of such a clutch-brake unit is illustrated in United States Letters Patent 3,638,773 of William E. Lewis et al. As disclosed therein, a piston unit is interposed between the clutch disc pack and the brake disc pack. The piston is disposed in an intermediate housing. Operation of the piston actuates either the clutch or brake. The input shaft is mounted for rotation on a pair of ball bearings and is piloted on a third bearing supported in a housing web portion. The output shaft is rotatably mounted on a pair of ball bearings. A self-aligning bearing is provided for supporting the inner end of the output shaft. The self-aligning bearing is carried on an enlarged end portion of the input shaft.